"Men are not grass or trees; who can be without emotion?"
Although Haruki was actively trying to increase others' favorability towards him, it was inevitable that some genuine feelings would develop over time spent together.
For Tanimoto Tetsu, Haruki certainly had some goodwill. While it wasn't as high as the 80 points Tanimoto had for him, according to his system's evaluation, it was probably around 60.
However, when facing Aizen, he had to maintain a certain attitude!
This was based on his understanding of Aizen and the instincts of a seasoned gamer that guided Haruki's choices.
He had to remain indifferent towards others to possibly ensure their survival.
If he were to beg Aizen not to kill anyone, it might instead provoke Aizen to kill everyone!
Thus, by adopting this nonchalant attitude, he might even make Aizen feel a bit bored.
Especially when dealing with Tanimoto Tetsu, if Haruki showed a strong reaction, Aizen would consider him 'just another ordinary person', lose interest, and Tanimoto's life would still be at risk.
It was better to remain completely indifferent to Tanimoto's fate, using this indifference to save the lives of two others, with the only reasons being 'my amusement' and 'lack of interest'.
Such a response was quite provocative, but Aizen probably liked this approach.
Indeed, after hearing Haruki's reply, Aizen said nothing more.
He led Haruki on a stroll through Hueco Mundo, a place where even the passage of time felt absent.
The monotonous scenery made it feel as though they were walking in place, no matter how long they walked.
As they walked, Haruki realized he couldn't continue aimlessly; this was a test from Aizen. Failing it could lead to dire consequences.
Even if he didn't die, Aizen might pin all the blame for this incident on him.
If he passed, he could successfully join Aizen's inner circle!
He had already noticed a change in Aizen's favorability towards him.
Previously, it was zero, akin to a god's indifference towards humans, but now it had risen from zero to ten!
Though still low, it was a significant breakthrough compared to zero.
So, he needed to strike while the iron was hot.
"Captain Aizen, although it might not be appropriate to say, I personally believe that you alone are sufficient to conquer the King of Hueco Mundo."
Haruki mimicked Gin Ichimaru by narrowing his eyes and smiling, "If possible, I'd like to return to the Seireitei. I won't say a word."
Aizen didn't stop, continuing to walk ahead of Haruki, "What else do you know?"
"Quite a bit..."
Haruki replied with the same nonchalance, "For example, your desire to obtain the 'Hogyoku'."
"Or perhaps, your dissatisfaction with the Soul King's rule?"
At this, Aizen's steps slowed for a moment, and he let out a light chuckle.
"Haruki-kun."
Aizen said calmly, "You know too much."
"Knowing or not... it doesn't matter." Haruki turned his head, not looking at Aizen, but gazing at the endless sands of spiritual particles.
He even crouched down, scooping up a handful of white sand.
The sand quickly slipped through his fingers, leaving only a single grain in his hand.
"Just like these spiritual particles, I only care about what interests me. Even if other things seem no different, to me, they are entirely distinct."
"Although my words may not be pleasant, Captain Aizen, your plans are indeed 'uninteresting' to me, no different from 'guarding the Seireitei' or 'loyalty to the Soul King'."
"So, I won't interfere with your plans. What difference does it make whether I know or not?"
Haruki carefully pocketed that single grain of sand, then looked forward with an empty gaze.
"You intend to use this purge to create space for Vice-Captain Ichimaru's promotion, don't you?"
"Also, for the students about to graduate from the Shin'ō Academy, without such a purge, it would be hard for them to grow quickly within the rigid hierarchy of the Gotei 13."
"Let me guess, the captain you're trying to lure out is the captain of the Third Division, right?"
Aizen turned to look at Haruki again, this time his face devoid of the previously amused expression, now completely emotionless.
Haruki's speculations matched his plans almost exactly.
He was indeed very interested in Haruki.
From the moment Haruki began teaching Renji at night, Aizen had noticed this young Shinigami in his division.
Just a small, ordinary squad member, yet quite adept at teaching Renji, Kira, and Hinamori. Aizen admitted that even he might not have achieved better results in teaching the three.
Thus, Aizen sent Metastacia to test Haruki, and this test confirmed Haruki's unusual abilities.
Although Metastacia was a failed experiment, it still possessed formidable powers, challenging even for a Vice-Captain level Shinigami to defeat.
Because its abilities were specifically designed to counter Shinigami!
Yet, faced with Metastacia's attack, Haruki merely shot a Kidō-like blast and killed it!
Such composure and ease thoroughly intrigued Aizen.
Therefore, he promoted Haruki to a seated officer, leading to this encounter.
Of course, even without Haruki, Aizen would have orchestrated an event to shake the Gotei 13.
Without such measures, those he valued couldn't attain higher positions.
For instance, Gin Ichimaru had been under his command for too long; it was time for him to become a captain in another division.
Similarly, after graduation, Hinamori and others would join his Fifth Division, necessitating space for their promotions within his ranks.
However, Haruki's presence led Aizen to slightly modify his long-established plans.
As Haruki had surmised, in Aizen's plan, if Haruki failed to detect Metastacia, he wasn't worthy of further attention and could be left to die.
If he could detect Metastacia's parasitism, two paths lay before him.
One was to expose Metastacia's identity out of 'concern for comrades', leading to being framed and gradually isolated by all.
The other path was 'indifference', in which case...
Aizen would appear!